18/10/2025 – County Cup – OTFC 4s vs Tenisons 4th

It was far from a straightforward build-up for Tiffs heading into this cup tie — injuries, illness, late dropouts, players out of position, and even a referee withdrawal 1 hour and 30 minutes before the kick off all added to the chaos. With no first, second, or even third-choice goalkeeper available, a last-minute stand-in was found on Friday night to complete a 12-man squad. To make matters trickier, one player was set to leave at half-time — so there was absolutely no room for injuries or worsening of illnesses.

Despite the disruption, Tiffs showed their resilience from the first whistle. The visitors had more of the early pressure, but out of nowhere, Gino opened the scoring with a stunning 25-yard volley from a throw-in that rocketed into the side netting. Moments later, a scrappy aerial battle in midfield saw Sean head the ball forward to Tony, who lashed home a half-volley into the bottom corner from the edge of the box — 2–0.

The first half settled down after that, with Tiffs defending smartly and heading into the break with a well-earned two-goal cushion.

Plans for a reinforcement from another Tiffs team fell through when the opposition didn’t want us to have an extra player who played a game just before, leaving the 11 to go the distance. The second half became scrappier, with both sides struggling to keep possession. Midway through the half, Tenisons pulled one back with a cut-back and composed finish from the edge of the box, making it 2–1 and briefly setting up a nervy spell.

But Tiffs responded perfectly. A long ball from Gino found Sean, who nodded it beyond his marker and coolly slotted home to restore the two-goal lead. Minutes later, a neat switch of play saw Tony return the favor — feeding Sean, whose cross was controlled by Tony, before he rifled in his second of the day. 4–1 and game over.

The final 15 minutes were about grit and togetherness — with the volunteer keeper doing his job, biting the bullet with some Tenision chances, and Tiffs battling through fatigue and injuries to finish the game with 10 men.

A hard-fought 4–1 win saw us march into the next round of the cup — bruised, battered, and a lot of rest needed, but absolutely deserved winners.